There are actually many unknown secrets hidden about tea. Those little-known facts that you may have never heard of are enough to make you look at this magical Chinese leaf with new eyes.
Once you master these little-known facts, you can also become a "walking tea encyclopedia" in front of tea friends.
1. Anji white tea is green tea. The reason why it is called "white tea" is because the tea tree has albino characteristics, and the same is true for Tianmu Lake white tea; similarly, golden buds are also green tea, which is a light-sensitive yellow tea tree.
2. "Mingqian tea" refers to the tea harvested about one week before the Qingming Festival every year. Generally speaking, the pre-Mingqian tea is mainly green tea. For example, if the pre-Mingqian tea is not sold out in spring, it can be stored in the cold storage in summer, autumn, or even winter. It is still pre-Mingqian tea.
3. The "older and more fragrant" Pu'er tea does not refer to all Pu'er tea, but refers to high-quality raw or cooked Pu'er tea that has been fermented and transformed by microorganisms under specific storage conditions. Poor-quality Pu'er tea will only become more "moldy" as it ages. Terraced tea will not become more fragrant as it ages.
4. The "iron" in "Iron Guanyin" does not refer to the iron content, but the color of its dry tea is as dark and smooth as iron, and the texture is as heavy as iron, which is the visual manifestation of polyphenol oxidation during rolling.
5. Lù'an Guapian is a famous tea in Anhui, China. Its name is the same as its place of origin, Lù'an City, Anhui Province.
6. The "green" of green tea is a proof that it has not been fermented. The chlorophyll is completely retained, giving the tea soup a bright green color. This is the "freshness preservation" magic of the process.
7. Biluochun, whose full name is Dongtingshan Biluochun, is one of the top ten famous teas in China. It is produced in the East and West Dongting Mountains of Taihu Lake, not Dongting Lake. There is another Junshan Island on Dongting Lake in Hunan, where the tea produced is called Junshan Yinzhen.
8. There is a kind of black tea in China, which has customers all over the world. There are large customer groups in Germany, Britain and the United States. It can be said to be world-famous and one of the three most fragrant teas in the world. It is Keemun Black Tea.
9. All tea leaves are derived from the green leaves and cores of a tea tree (the tea tree varieties may be different). After processing, they have different characteristics and colors.
10. The aroma of jasmine tea does not come from tea leaves, but during the scenting process, the tea absorbs the aroma molecules of jasmine. In simple terms, it is the integration of tea and flower. After the tea is made, the embellishment of jasmine is removed, and the tea still has the fragrance of jasmine.
11. Amino acids are the "secret weapon" of tea's freshness. Theanine brings a sense of relaxation, while glutamic acid enhances the freshness. Together, they build the taste level of tea.
12. Anji White Tea and Baihao Silver Needle are teas with relatively low bitterness, and the sweet taste is more obvious. Those who don't like bitterness can drink them with their eyes closed.
13. The aroma of tea is not only floral and fruity, but also herbal, woody, and nutty, which is closely related to the variety and production process of tea.
14. Teas with special tea aromas include Keemun black tea, Dongting Biluochun, Longjing, Zhengshan Xiaozhong, Fenghuang Dancong, Tieguanyin, and cinnamon.
15. Not all teas are suitable for brewing with boiling water. Some tender bud teas, such as green tea and yellow tea, will destroy their aroma and taste if brewed with too high a water temperature. Generally, a temperature of about 85 is suitable.
16. The quality of water used to brew tea not only affects the taste of the tea soup, but also affects the precipitation of the effective ingredients in the tea leaves. Soft water is more suitable for brewing tea than hard water, and purified water and mountain spring water are preferred.
17. Except for green tea and yellow tea, which need to be placed in the refrigerator at 0-10 degrees, other teas can be stored at room temperature and in a cool place at about 25 degrees.
18. The shelf life of tea does not refer to the absolute shelf life, but to the best drinking time of tea. After this time, the aroma and taste of the tea will gradually decline.
19. There is a big difference between Pu'er raw tea and cooked tea. No matter how long the raw tea is stored, it will not become cooked tea. .
20. It is normal for tea leaves to have hair and soup to have foam. The hair is because the tea hair falls off, and the foam is because of tea saponin.
21. Among black teas, the best effect of making milk tea with Zhengshan Xiaozhong is the best. I have personally tested it, and there is no other.
22. "Overnight tea" is not drinkable. As long as it is properly stored and not spoiled, it can still be drunk, but its nutritional value will be reduced.
23. Tea can not only be drunk, but also used for cooking, foot bathing, flower gardening, beauty, cleaning, etc., and has many uses.
24. The "shape" of tea is not random. For example, the different shapes of bricks, cakes, and Tuo are to adapt to different storage, brewing methods and drinking habits.
25. There are many types of tea. According to the degree of fermentation, it can be divided into unfermented tea (green tea), slightly fermented tea (white tea, yellow tea), semi-fermented tea (oolong tea), fully fermented tea (black tea), post-fermented tea (black tea), etc.
26. The "red" of black tea is the color code of the tea soup, which comes from the conversion of tea polyphenols into red pigments such as theaflavins and thearubigins under the catalysis of polyphenol oxidase, rather than the natural color of the tea itself.
27. Chrysanthemum tea and honeysuckle tea belong to herbal tea or substitute tea. They are different from jasmine tea and osmanthus oolong tea. They belong to flower tea in the reprocessed tea category. The former has nothing to do with tea.
28. Most of the Dahongpao we drink now are blended. Pure Dahongpao is generally not available for purchase or drinking.
In the end, "the knowledge gained from books is shallow, and it is necessary to practice it in person to know it thoroughly". There are far more than these 28 little-known facts about tea.
I hope these can make you more interested in tea, and I also hope that you can learn more about tea in your daily life and become a person who understands and loves tea.
